PhilippiansSample

The last verse in our reading today is one of the most quoted verses from the Bible, but it’s often taken out of context from the verses that precede it. This verse is regularly spoken as an affirmation when we’re going into war, rather than a battle cry when we’re in the middle of one. But these verses are not about receiving or accomplishing whatever I want because I follow Jesus; they are about the ability to endure anything thrown at me because Jesus is my Savior. In fact, another version of verse 13 reads, “I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.”

Paul is in prison, enduring great hardship—and yet, he has unimaginable joy and contentment. Paul can see beyond his circumstances because he doesn’t base his joy on his current condition; he bases it on the One who never changes, never abandons, and never disappoints. If you find your joy in your life circumstances, rather than in Christ, you open yourself up to disappointment and discontent. You allow yourself to be held hostage by a fickle world; constantly chasing an ever-moving target of what it means to be “satisfied”.

Understanding this verse is crucial to finding a joy that can’t be taken away. It’s the difference between interviewing for a new job with a belief that Christ will give it to me, and enduring the disappointment of being unemployed when I don’t receive it. It’s knowing that no matter your circumstances—be it your marital status, a sudden diagnosis, an inability to have kids, overcoming a mountain of debt, mourning the loss of a loved one, or whatever situation you find yourself in today—that you can endure it because you have a relationship with Jesus.

When you place your hope, your desires, and your wishes in Him, you will find peace and contentment in knowing that He is in control of your circumstances and that He will endure them—good and bad—with you. Draw near to Jesus, invite Him into your circumstances, and find the joy of living each day in His presence.

Prayer points:

• Ask that God would show you what it means to find your joy in His presence instead of in your life circumstances.
• Ask for the strength that comes from Jesus to endure whatever season you are in.